Skip to main content

1861HoldenL

 

Fragments from the book Holden L. Human Osteology (1861). The author discusses the attachment and anatomy of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF). In some cases, we have added links to quotations about LCF available on our resource, as well as to publications posted on the Internet. 


Quote pp. 166-167

Acetabulum. Lastly, we come to the "acetabulum." This is so named from its resemblance to an ancient vinegar cup. Observe its great depth and hemispherical form adapted for the secure lodgement of the head of the thigh-bone, and for more or less movement in any direction. It looks downwards and outwards so as to transmit the weight of the trunk directly on to the head of the thigh-bone; and the upper or iliac portion of it is by far the thickest and strongest, since it has to support the whole weight of the trunk in the erect posture. All these points are of interest, because they are characteristic of the human skeleton. There are two notches in the margin or "brim" of the acetabulum. The upper and smaller one is near the ileo-pectineal eminence, and permits the free bending of the thigh towards the abdomen. The other and larger, specially called "the notch," is at the lowest part of the margin. It permits the "adduction" of the thigh, as, for instance, when we cross the legs, and also lets blood-vessels run into the acetabulum to supply the ligamentum teres, and the fat at the bottom of it. Besides which, there is no need of bone at the lowest part of the socket, which never has to support weight. Two ligaments are attached to the borders of the notch: one is the "ligamentum teres;" the other is the "transverse ligament,"* which runs. across it to complete the margin of the acetabulum.

* The transverse ligament is sometimes ossified in extreme old age. See a preparation in the Hunterian Museum, No. 5524.

Deep as it is, even in the dry bone, the acetabulum is made still deeper in the recent state by a rim of fibro-cartilage, called the "cotyloid ligament," which, besides increasing its depth, serves as a " sucker" to keep the head of the bone in the socket.

Looking into the socket, we observe that it is smooth everywhere, except at the bottom, where there is an irregular excavation continuous with the notch below. This is to allow the free play of the ligamentum teres within the joint, and is partly occupied by fat and synovial fringes. If the socket be held up to the light, the bottom of it will be found thin enough to be transparent. This thinness explains why, in some cases of diseased hip-joint, the matter makes its way through the socket into the pelvic cavity.* It likewise explains why a fall on the trochanter major is able to fracture the bottom of the acetabulum. We have a preparation** in the museum of St. Bartholomew's Hospital in which a fracture, caused by a fall on the trochanter a few months before death, extended in several directions from the centre of the acetabulum to its circumference.

* See museum of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Second Series, B. 18.

** Third Scries, No. 62.

Besides the three pieces of which it is originally formed, the os innominatum has four "epiphyses," which begin to appear about the age of puberty. One skirts the crest of the ilium. There is a second for the anterior-inferior spine; a third along the tuberosity of the ischium: and a fourth, which forms a thin plate, at the symphysis pubis.

 

Quote pp. 177-178

Head. The head forms rather more than half a sphere, smooth and convex on every part, except at a point a little behind and below its centre, where there is a depression for the attachment of the "ligamentum teres." It forms a perfect ball-and-socket joint with the acetabulum. When crusted with cartilage the ball fits so accurately into its socket, that it is retained in it by atmospheric pressure alone. It has been ascertained by experiment that this pressure is about 26 pounds; that is, more than equal to sustain the weight of the entire limb with all its soft parts. More than this, the Brothers Weber* have shown that, in walking, the legs act like pendulums, and that we require scarcely any muscular force to advance one leg before the other. This is a beautiful provision. The limb hangs freely in its socket, and the muscles do not expend any of their power in keeping it there. [Herman] Boerhaave might well say, "in mirabili articulatione femoria Creatorem adoramus" [in the wonderful articulation of the thighs we worship the Creator].

* Mechanik der mensch. Gehwerk., Gott. 1836.



External links

Holden L. Human osteology: Сomprising a description of the bones with delineations of the attachments of the muscles, the general and microscopic structure of bone and its development, to which is added a brief notice of the unity of type in the construction of the vertebrate skeleton. 3rd ed. London: J. Churchill, 1861. [archive.org]

Authors & Affiliations

Luther Holden (1816-1905) was an English surgeon [wikipedia.org], [foto: wikimedia.org].

Luther Holden (c. 1880)
Artist John Everett Millais; original in the Foundling Museum collection: 
artuk.org «This image can be used for non-commercial research or private study purposes…» (no changes).
 

Keywords

ligamentum capitis femoris, ligamentum teres, ligament of head of femur, anatomy, blood supply

                                                                     

NB! Fair practice / use: copied for the purposes of criticism, review, comment, research and private study in accordance with Copyright Laws of the US: 17 U.S.C. §107; Copyright Law of the EU: Dir. 2001/29/EC, art.5/3a,d; Copyright Law of the RU: ГК РФ ст.1274/1.1-2,7

MORPHOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Set of Classifications

  General Classification of LCF Pathology Version : 20240420 Annotation Analysis of literature data and our own morphological observations allowed us to propose a General Classification of LCF Pathology. Introduction In Russia, the initial attempts to classify pathology of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) were made by morphologists. L.I. Gaevskaya distinguished three types of LCF: 1) long and thick (length 41–51 mm, thickness 5 mm), 2) short and thin (length 10–20 mm, thickness 1 mm), 3) long and of small thickness (length 43–45 mm, with a thickness of 3 mm, and length 28–30 mm with a thickness of 4–5 mm) (1954 ГаевскаяЛИ ). V.V. Kovanov, A.A. Travin identified three varieties of histological structure of LCF: 1) with a predominance of loose connective tissue; 2) with a predominance of dense connective tissue; 3) with a uniform distribution of loose and dense connective tissue ( 1963 КовановВВ _ ТравинАА ). The development of arthroscopic surgery has made it possible to i...

Topography of the Acetabular Canal

   Version : 20250728 Topography of the Acetabular Canal Side Femoral (lateral) Pelvic (medial)   Contents Synovial fluid Ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) White adipose tissue Loose connective tissue Synovial membrane Transverse acetabular ligament Arteries Veins Nerves Lymphatic vessels   Sections Peripheral section Central section Subsynovial section Suprasynovial section   Peripheral Section Entrance foramen -- Upper edge -- Lower edge -- Anterior edge -- Posterior edge External segment (subligamentous) - Superior wall - Inferior wall - Posterior wall - Anterior wall Internal segment (extraligamentous) - Subsynovial part (tier) -- Superior wall -- Inferior wall -- Posterior wall -- Anterior wall - Suprasinovial part (tier) -- Superior wall -- Inferior wall -- Posterior wall -- Anterior wall   Central Section Iliac recess Ischial recess Subsynovial part (tier) - Outer margin - Medial wall - Lateral wall - Anteroinferior wall - Posteroinferior wall - Supra...

LCF in 2025 (July)

    LCF in 2025 ( July )   (Quotes from articles and books published in July 2025 mentioning the ligamentum capitis femoris.) Tekcan, D., Bilgin, G., & Güven, Ş. Evaluation of Risk Factors for Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip. HAYDARPAŞA NUMUNE MEDICAL JOURNAL , 65 (2), 99-103.   [i]   jag.journalagent.com   Domb, B. G., & Sabetian, P. W. (2025). Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome: Gluteal Tendinopathy, Partial Tear, Complete Tear, Iliotibial Band Syndrome, and Bursitis. In Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (pp. 1-17). Springer, Cham.   [ii]   link.springer.com   Kuhns, B. D., Becker, N., Patel, D., Shah, P. P., & Domb, B. G. (2025). Significant Heterogeneity in Existing Literature Limits Both Indication and Outcome Comparability Between Studies Involving Periacetabular Osteotomy For Acetabular Dysplasia With or Without Arthroscopy Despite Improvement for Both: A Systematic Review. Arthroscopy .   [iii]   ...

1864MacalisterA

  Content [i]   Annotaction [ii]   Original in  English [iii]   Translated into  German [iv]   Illustrations [v]   Source  &  links [vi]   Notes [vii]   Authors & Affiliations [viii]   Keywords [i]   Annotaction Fragment of the article: Macalister A. On the anatomy of the ostrich (Struthio camelus) (1864). The author observed ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) in an ostrich. Its strength is noted, and its shape is described. Translation into Russian is available at the link: 1864MacalisterA .  [ii]   Original in  English   Quote, p. 22 The articulations of the lower extremity present many points of mechanical importance. The first, or the hip, is an enarthrosis, surrounded by a capsule, loose, expanding inferiorly; the synovial membrane spreads over the great trochanter; a strong transverse band passes from the border of the lesser sciatic notch to the upper and posterior edge of the acetab...

LCF in 2025 (June)

  LCF in 2025 ( June )   (Quotes from articles and books published in June 2025 mentioning the ligamentum capitis femoris)   Kuhns, B. D., Kahana-Rojkind, A. H., Quesada-Jimenez, R., McCarroll, T. R., Kingham, Y. E., Strok, M. J., ... & Domb, B. G. (2025). Evaluating a semiquantitative magnetic resonance imaging-based scoring system to predict hip preservation or arthroplasty in patients with an intact preoperative joint space.  Journal of Hip Preservation Surgery , hnaf027.    [i]     academic.oup.com   Iglesias, C.  J. B., García, B. E. C., & Valarezo, J. P. P. (2025) CONTROLLED GANZ DISLOCATION.   EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) - Peer Reviewed Journal. 11(5)1410-13. DOI: 10.36713/epra2013    [ii]       researchgate.net   Guimarães, J. B., Arruda, P. H., Cerezal, L., Ratti, M. A., Cruz, I. A., Morimoto, L. R., ... & Ormond Filho, A. G. (2025). Hip Microins...

1857HyrtlJ

The author discusses the anatomy, structure, and role of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF). Based on his own research, Josef Hyrtl asserts that the vessels of the LCF do not participate in supplying blood to the femoral head. The author highlights the high strength of the LCF and changes in congenital dislocations. Apparently, this work was the first to suggest that the LCF serves as a conductor of inflammatory processes and a cause of coxalgia. Hyrtl J. Handbuch der topagraphischen Anatomie und ihrer praktisch medicinisch-chirurgischen Anwendungen. Zweiter band. Wien: W. Braumüller, 1857. [fragment] Quote p. 410-412 c. Rundes Band des Schenkelkopfes. Einfluss desselben auf die Stellung des Beins bei Coxalgie. Ein verticaler, durch die Mitte der Pfanne und des Schenkelkopfes und bei richtiger Beckenneigung von aussen nach innen geführter Schnitt, trennt das runde Band in zwei gleiche Schenkel, einen vorderen und hinteren. Das Band ...

REFLECTION OF LCF DAMAGE IN WORKS OF ART

   Reflection of ligamentum capitis FEMORIS DAMAGE in works of art The oldest description of ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) damage is reflected in works of art. Three Nobel laureates have dedicated lines to it in literature. Madonna and Bono sang about the episode of the injury of LCF. Briefly about the topic: About the biblical trauma LCF in works of art [Ru] https://kruglayasvyazka.blogspot.com/2025/04/lcf_18.html More details: MUSICAL WORKS ABOUT THE BIBLICAL Damage LCF [Ru] https://kruglayasvyazka.blogspot.com/2025/04/lcf_81.html THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS ABOUT THE BIBLICAL Damage LCF [Ru] https://kruglayasvyazka.blogspot.com/2025/04/ligamentum-capitis-femoris_30.html PROSE ABOUT THE BIBLICAL Damage LCF [Ru] https://kruglayasvyazka.blogspot.com/2025/04/lcf_30.html POETRY ABOUT THE BIBLICAL Damage LCF [Ru] https://kruglayasvyazka.blogspot.com/2025/04/lcf_91.html Image of an episode of damage using graphic means in the section BIBLICAL Damag...

1543(b)VesaliusA

Fragment from the book Vesalius A. Humani corporis fabrica librorum Epitome (1543). The author describes the attachment and shape of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF). Our brief commentary is available at the link: 1543(b)VesaliusA [Rus]. Quote. [Lat] Caput. II. De ossium ac cartilaginvm ligamentis, et musculis arbitrarij motus instrumentis Ex femoris superiori capite teres ligamentum in coxendicis acetabulum insertur. Translation [Eng] Quote. Chapter II. On the ligaments of the bones, cartilages, and muscles that perform voluntary movements. From the upper head of the femur, the round ligament is inserted into the acetabulum of the hip joint. Jan Stephan van Calcar (ca. 1543) External links Vesalius A. Humani corporis fabrica librorum Epitome. Basileae: Ex officina Joannis Oporini, Anno MDXLIII Mense Iunio [June, 1543]. [ books.google ] Authors & Affiliations Andreas Vesalius (And ries van Wezel, 1514-1564) physician, anatomist, professor at the Univers...

Online Journal «ABOUT ROUND LIGAMENT OF FEMUR», April 2025

The journal is dedicated to the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) and related topics.   About the Journal   »»»                                                                                . The online journal  « About Round Ligament of  Femur »   was created based on the scientific blog of the same name. The resource is the English-language part of the project:  ONLINE JOURNAL:  Ligamentum capitis femoris .   Updates:  As new materials are prepared. Mission :   Popularization and preservation of knowledge about LCF, as well as promoting its practical application. Main goal:  Improvement of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of injuries and diseases of the hip joint. Publisher:  Arkhipov S.V., independent researcher, P...

1290Egerton1066

  Miniature Jacob Wrestling with the Angel from Egerton 1066 (ca. 1270 – 1290?).  Depicting the circumstances and mechanism of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) injury based on the description in the Book of Genesis: 25 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 26 And when he saw that he could not pre vail against him, he struck against the hollow of his thigh ; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was put out of joint, as he was wrestling with him. … 33 Therefore do the children of Israel not eat the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day; because he struck against the hollow of Jacob's thigh on the sinew that shrank.  ( 1922LeeserI , Genesis (Bereshit) 32:25-26,33) More about the plot in our work:  Ninth month, eleventh day   ( 2024 АрхиповСВ. Девятый месяц, одиннадцатый день ).     Initial E from Egerton 1066 – Jacob Wrestling with the Angel (ca. 1270 – 1290?) original ...